Trump Tower fire victim 'hated living in Donald Trump's building'
The 67-year-old art collector who died in a fire at Donald Trump's landmark skyscraper in New York had been trying to sell his apartment and hated the American businessman-turned-president, according to his friends.
Todd Brassner died in hospital on Saturday after flames engulfed his home on the 50th floor of Trump Tower.
Investigators have yet to identify the cause. His flat had no sprinklers, a measure opposed by Mr Trump in the late 1990s when the city considered ordering them to be installed in all residential buildings.
Friends said Brassner resented the additional security implemented around the Manhattan building since Mr Trump had become president, adding to a list of grievances.
Rachael Cain, a friend, told the New York Daily News: "He hated living at Trump Tower.
"He talked about not living there almost non-stop.
"He thought that [Trump] was the worst thing for our country... not caring about environmental issues..."
Brassner was an acquaintance of Andy Warhol, meriting several mentions in the artist's memoirs.
Friends said he wanted to sell his home but reportedly complained that its association with Mr Trump, and the armed guards whenever the president was in town, deterred potential buyers.
Stephen Dwire told the New York Times: "He said, 'This is getting untenable.' It was like living in an armed camp.
"But when people heard it was a Trump building, he couldn't give it away."
The tower is home to Mr Trump's business headquarters and suffered an earlier fire this year.
